


Balance

by WriterofGotham



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Red Robin (Comics)
Genre: Bruce tries, Child Neglect, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Karate kid mentioning, Movie Nights, Tim is a sad bird, jack and janet drakes a+ parenting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-27
Updated: 2019-05-27
Packaged: 2020-03-19 23:46:23
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,418
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18980824
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WriterofGotham/pseuds/WriterofGotham
Summary: The thing is Tim's well aware of what will happen if he messes up. He doesn't need Bruce to remind him.He still does, "If you aren't fast enough stay home. If you can't be of help what can you do? " Tim adds to himself, if you can't be a good Robin like Dick or Jason don't put on the uniform.Tim knows. He tells himself worse and still it's stupid, he had to get up early for school and patrol is running late. He's tired and he shouldn't be. He's young and Robin doesn't get tired. He's the terror of the night, not some ordinary child.





	Balance

The thing is Tim's well aware of what will happen if he messes up. He doesn't need Bruce to remind him.

He still does, "If you aren't fast enough stay home. If you can't be of help what can you do? " Tim adds to himself, if you can't be a good Robin like Dick or Jason don't put on the uniform.

Tim knows. He tells himself worse and still it's stupid, he had to get up early for school and patrol is running late. He's tired and he shouldn't be. He's young and Robin doesn't get tired. He's the terror of the night, not some ordinary child.

He's tired. When he slips up and falls on his left wrist funny. It's his fault he should have known it was slippery. Batman wouldn't have slipped. Tim does what he does best and gets back and shakes it off. Batman doesn't notice. His wrist hurts and Tim knows it will need ice when he gets to the safety of his home.

Batman still is on the fence about him being Robin without putting himself out of commission. It's just a half-hour more and Tim and Bruce are headed back to the manor.

Tim goes back home and ices and wraps his wrist. He tells himself that it's not bad as he swallows aspirin for inflammation. He sleeps fitfully as he dreams of Bruce taking Robin from him.

School is school. Tim does the best he can with his wrist and when he goes to the cave he just unwraps it. It will be fine Bruce doesn't notice him.

He wonders, no, he knows it was different with Dick and Jason. It seems as though he was stuck with being cursed with being unwanted, yet necessary where ever he went.

Tim warms up before he puts on the Robin suit. He dresses in a short time and Batman's already waiting on him. He's late, slow. Not good enough.

Tim gets in the batmobile and is greeted with silence. Tim's comfortable with silence. Tim's life is filled with silence and that stopped bothering him years ago. He doesn't know what he'd do if he was around someone who actually talked to him. Still, he thought being Robin would be different.

The night is slow and that's ok because his wrist really freaking hurts right now.

Bruce gives him a look and Tim tries not to shrink under it.

"What happened to your wrist you've avoided using that hand all night."Bruce's voice is rough, gravely and so Batman like toward him.

It's a little known lie that Tim Drake is an expert liar. He does it as easy as breathing or standing up straight in front of his mother.

"It's nothing. I caught a ball funny in gym. I can still patrol," Tim adds.

Bruce grunts before adding, "Let Alfred look at it before you go home."

Tim doesn't know what to make of Alfred. But he does know that if Bruce is like a some to him that means the previous Robins were like grandchildren. He's the interloper, a necessity that's just there to keep Bruce from going off the deep end.

Tim nods and wonders if Bruce will remember that he told him that. He briefly debates about leaving the cave without consulting Alfred before discarding it. Bruce would know that would make him suspicious about other things.

Tim sighs as Bruce heads back to the cave. The nights over and he's got school in the morning. He undresses quickly and tries to move his wrist a little without wincing.

He's proud of his pathetic effort in spite of himself. It's a little swollen still, but not like how it first was.

Alfred comes over to him when he emerges from the dressing room and Tim notices the worry lines that make creases on his face. He wonders what Bruce told him about patrol.

He can't think of any mistakes he's made in the last week except for the wrist. Oh, his wrist, that made sense.

He offered it awkwardly to Alfred. "It's not that bad, I swear if it was bad I would have said something," Tim said wishing he had left as sooner, or the fall had killed him.

"I'll be the judge of that. It's pretty swollen what happened?" Alfred asked.

"I was playing dodge ball and the ball hit me funny. I know I should have been playing more attention," Tim regretted saying as soon as it left his mouth.

"These things happen. I'll get you a brace for it, just remember to ice it," Alfred said. Tim couldn't tell if he was mad or not. He thought about how his mother was mad she was silent while his father raged. His life was a lot simpler when he was just watching behind a camera.

Alfred came back with a brace and put it on as gently as he could which Tim appreciated. He gave a small smile and turned to go home. He needed to try to sleep at least.

"If you want there is a guest room upstairs you could sleep in for the night. I could drive you to school in the morning if you want," Alfred offered.

And really it was a generous offer. It was and Tim knew that he meant it, he hoped he meant it at least.

"I don't want to impose. My house isn't that far," Tim said politely because he knew his place in the Wayne household. He didn't belong in a guest room or any other room. He was Robin because he forced Bruce to make him Robin and that's it. The Batcave was good enough for him. Tim didn't need to see the inside of the house it almost scared him to think of going up the stairs.

He turned and slowly walked back to the door that leads near his house. The fifteen-minute walk in the dark was alone time he needed. He thought about school, his friend, Alfred's offer to stay over.

It was puzzling, Alfred knew he had a house. He's just so confused. He expected something to be said about his wrist, that he was stupid or he should have paid more attention not offer to stay the night and be driven to school. He knew he could ride his bike with his wrist in a brace. Alfred must have known it too.

He unlocks the back door and tumbles into bed. He falls asleep being jealous of a dead boy and one that wants nothing to do with his family.

School is boring. Tim's still tired and coffee doesn't touch it anymore. He trains in the gym at his house his twelve-year-old body still isn't at its peak and at the rate he's going it doesn't seem like it ever will measure up.

He eats the eggs that he scrambles without much gusto. It's a simple meal that provides protein. After eating he sets an alarm and lays down to sleep. Tim dreams of falling off roofs and a dead boy haunting him for taking his place.

He wakes before the alarm and starts his pilgrimage to the Batcave. He walks briskly trying to make sure he has time enough to get changed in uniform. The tall manor looms over him mocking him.

He loves Robin. It's another clearly defined role he's meant to play.

Except the waters are getting murky and he doesn't know what lines shouldn't be crossed when it comes to Robin, and not Tim Drake. He knows that people don't like him for him. He's tolerated for being a Drake and being wealthy. Teaches overlooked him and that was good he was happy with that. If he was overlooked he wasn't in trouble. Being quiet and not asking questions like, "Are you sure you need to be gone for six months?" was good. Robin was allowed to ask questions encouraged to speak up and it was a freedom that Tim never fully had until then. He loved the freedom the cape and boots gave him the right to.

When the uniform came off so did the right to question and he was just plain old Tim. Eager to please and hard to anger on the outside. Bruce was different to him, he was kinder to Robin than he was to Tim. That wasn't surprising, Tim was rather stupid and more often than not got in everyone's way. He had to constantly work on being helpful and not causing problems for those around him.

He remembered being young he's not sure how old but his mother had told him that he caused a lot of problems just by being there. Tim had exclaimed that he would be good and not cause problems anymore and she laughed. He understood what she meant later. He made a promise that if he ever had kids that they would never be told they were problems and he would always love them even if they asked questions or spoke out of turn. To be loved like that would make them the luckiest kids in the world.

Tim shook himself and put off the memories that were silly to be pondering. He was getting ready to go out as Robin, and Robin didn't have to beg for love or attention. Not like Tim Drake did.

Tim strolled in the Batcave after the retina scan and hand print scan. He went to change and was stopped by a hand on his shoulder, powerful and strong. Bruce turned so he could see Tim's face.

Tim wanted to apologize to beg for forgiveness to the crime he must have done or task that had to be lacking. He bit his lips and hoped that this wasn't the talk he knew had to be coming sooner or later. Instead of being told that Duck changed his mind or he finally found a boy more suited to being Robin he said,

"The last few nights have been slow. You want to take a break instead and watch a movie or something?"

Tim's so dumbfounded that for a moment all he can do is question his ears. He's still asleep or Bruce is testing him to see of he is a good Robin.

"I can go back home if you don't want help tonight. I know my wrist isn't in great shape but it won't take long to heal," Tim hopes will placate him. He doesn't know what to do when Bruce talks to him and not Batman.

"Take it easy Tim. Gotham isn't going to fall to pieces on just one night. Let's just enjoy a night off. I'll let you pick the movie," Bruce offered.

It feels too good to be true. Like a gift that you later find was forced by someone else or because it was the right thing to do.

It doesn't make Tim any less greedy. Before he thinks better of it he agrees.

He looks over the titles and looks for the ones that are well worn to make sure Bruce likes them before wondering if it was actually Jason or Dick that liked them. Tim finally, after a few minutes of debating decides on a copy of The Karate Kid. He had always liked the movie a classic underdog story. Once when he had been following Batman and Robin at night he got mugged and tried to crane kick the mugger with not so stellar results.

Tim put the disc in the DVD player and settled in on the couch opposite from Bruce. The movie started and the familiar opening scene gave comfort to Tim.

"Does a stick shift really do that?" Tim asked before he thought better of it.

"Yeah, the first few Batmobiles were sticks, of course, the villain's cars were too. I had to pop the clutch so many times," Bruce said reminiscing.

The movie went on and Tim watched as Bruce really enjoyed the movie. When Daniel had to do all of the insane chores Bruce laughed. Tim and Bruce agreed that the actor who portrayed Mr. Miyagi didn't know karate in real life. At the end of the movie, Bruce leaned in and stared as Daniel and Mr. Miyagi talked at the end of the movie when Daniel decided to keep fighting.

Bruce smiled as looked at Tim at the very end of the movie when Daniel won against all odds, "That was a good movie. I haven't seen it before. If you want, we can watch a movie once a week."

"Really? Did you like it?" Tim asked as his eyes lit up.

"It was great. I see why you like it so much," Bruce replied.

"There are three more movies and a series. I didn't watch the series, but I like the movies," Tim said as did the crane pose.

"We'll have to watch them all," Bruce said as did the pose Johnny did and they did a mock fight.

For the first time since being Robin, Tim was in the home part of the manor and he didn't feel out of place. Tim could get used to feeling like he belonged and movie nights sounds like something that Robin did with Batman. 

* * *

Alfred watched as Bruce and Tim watched a movie together. They had only been Batman and Robin for barely two months they worked fine in the field, but they didn't work as a team off the field. Bruce hadn't realized it until Alfred brought it up. Alfred was the one to suggest a movie especially after he hurt his wrist in a way that didn't seem like a dodge ball injury.

Bruce needed to make Tim feel wanted. Get to know the boy behind the mask Alfred knew that they wouldn't be much of a partnership if they didn't really get to know each other. Alfred knew that Tim wasn't Bruce's son and that he had parents. They weren't the best, but They were Tim's. If it took a movie night once a week for Bruce to loosen up well, Alfred already had the next movies ordered.

Robin and Batman movie nights were going to be a thing for Tim and Bruce. Dick and Bruce had acrobatics that they did together. Jason and Bruce had books that they would read together.

Tim was going to find his niche as his Robin.

Alfred was going to make sure it happen. Batman and Robin were going to find a balance of their own.

**Author's Note:**

> So I had a seven-hour road trip and I wrote this on the way there and back. I just got back and am tired I hope that this makes sense and not just in a sleep-addled brain. I wanted a sad Tim story where he doesn't feel like a real Robin but the power of the Karate Kid and movie nights makes it all better. I have watched that movie quite a bit and it's still one of my favorite 80's movies. I really hope this isn't terrible. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


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